Former Mafia Godfather Shot Dead on French Highway 10 Years After His Brother Mysteriously Vanished
Jean-Pierre Maldera, a former mafia boss, was fatally shot Wednesday while driving on a busy highway near Grenoble, France. Local authorities confirmed that the 71-year-old died from his injuries following the attack.
Maldera was a key figure in the Franco-Italian mafia that operated in southeastern France during the 1980s. His brother, Robert Maldera, vanished under mysterious circumstances in 2015 after attending a meeting near Grenoble. His car was discovered two months later, and authorities at the time suspected he had been killed.
Both brothers had been imprisoned in 2004 on charges including extortion, money laundering, and procuring sex workers, but were released the following year due to a legal technicality.
Investigators reported that Jean-Pierre Maldera was targeted by gunmen in a separate vehicle that opened fire before fleeing the scene. Videos from the scene showed a white car with its driver’s window shattered, abandoned in the middle of the highway. Reports indicated that three to four assailants fired at Maldera from a stolen vehicle before pursuing and fatally shooting him as he attempted to flee on foot. The attackers were armed with military-grade weapons, possibly a Kalashnikov rifle.
Shortly after the attack, authorities discovered the burned remains of the suspects’ vehicle in a parking lot a few miles away. The blackened ground where the car was set ablaze was visible after police removed the wreckage.
The Maldera crime clan, to which Jean-Pierre and Robert belonged, was dismantled in 1984. At the time, their father was found to be in possession of treasury bonds worth around one million French francs (approximately $165,000).
A source familiar with the Maldera brothers' history described Jean-Pierre as the strategist behind their operations, while Robert was considered the enforcer.
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